Breathing features assessment of porous wall units in relation to indoor air quality

Traditional building technologies establishing highly-breathing multi-layered wall systems provide healthy indoor environment and energy efficiency in buildings due to the use of lightweight, porous, water vapour permeable and thermal resistive building materials. The breathing performance of traditional buildings and materials that contribute to the healthy indoor conditions and air quality are needed to be investigated in detail.

Airtightness of building penetrations: air sealing solutions, durability effects and measurement uncertainty

During field measurements on the airtightness of passive houses, ventilations system’s roof penetrations showed to be one of the major leakage paths, as they were not sealed using the appropriate, durable techniques. Therefore, a series of laboratory measurements was conducted on wood-frame walls to study different air sealing solutions. The use of special airtight gaskets is compared to less advanced sealing methods such as sprayed polyurethane foam and the use of pieces of tape.

Ductwork airtightness: reliability of measurements and impact on ventilation flowrate and fan energy consumption

Reduction of energy consumption and green house gas emissions of buildings is a great challenge in Europe. In this context French energy performance regulation, RT2012, requires an improvement of the buildings' airtightness. In airtight buildings, ventilation must be perfectly controlled to ensure good indoor air quality.  However, many failures are observed when ventilation systems are inspected (Jobert, 2012). They are mainly due to bad conception, poor implementation and lack of maintenance.

Monitoring the energy- & iaq performance of ventilation systems in dutch residential dwellings

MONICAIR --MONItoring & Control of Air quality in Individual Rooms-- is a pre-competitive field research project of a broad consortium of Dutch ventilation unit manufacturers and research institutes, supported by the Dutch government. The aim is to investigate the indoor air quality (IAQ) performance and energy characteristics of 9 different mechanical ventilation solutions in dwellings that meet strict air-tightness standards and comply with current building regulations.

Experiences in the airtightness of renovated tertiary exemplary buildings in the Brussels capital region

In the “Exemplary Buildings” program of the Brussels Capital Region, building owners and designers are challenged to realise building projects of both high architectural quality and superior environmental performance. After a project competition phase in which the Exemplary Buildings are selected, winning projects are supported by grants and expert guidance throughout further design development and construction. Building envelope airtightness is an important aspect during the follow-up, given its influence on the net energy demand.

Energy saving and thermal comfort in Residential buildings with dynamic insulation windows

To realize the concept of low-energy buildings, an increase in the thermal insulation performance of building parts, especially the openings that show poor insulation performance, is necessary. In addition, an adequate level of thermal comfort is also needed within residential buildings. We have developed window-applied dynamic insulation (DI), and verified thermal insulation performance in chamber and field tests.

Passive Cooling Through Ventilation Shafts in High-Density Zero Energy Buildings: A Design Strategy to Integrate Natural and Mechanical Ventilation in Temperate Climates

Zero Energy Buildings require airtightness and mechanical ventilation systems to provide air changes and energy saving. These requirements contrast with the principles of natural ventilation. Through a case study located in Modena, Italy, a design strategy is proposed as a solution to integrate natural and mechanical ventilation systems at different times of the year to reduce the energy consumption in a newly designed high-density ZEB. The internal comfort evaluation for the warm season is then verified with a multizone dynamic simulation and a CFD analysis.

Co-heating test and comfort assessment of a coupled system made by a ventilated window and a heat recovery unit

The article describes the results of an experimental campaign carried out at ITC-CNR in outdoor test cells to evaluate the energy performance and the related comfort level achieved through a coupled system made up of a dynamic window and a heat recovery unit.

Assessment of the durability of the airtightness of building elements via laboratory tests

The airtightness just after the end of a building phase is assumed to be relevant criteria for high energy performance. Testing on site the initial performance of the airtightness via the blower door test has become nowadays a common practice. This test is generally realized at the end of the construction works. What about the influence of ageing on the airtightness? Many questions exist on the durability of this initial performance.

Belgian framework for reliable fan pressurization tests for buildings

This paper presents the new framework for the realization of reliable pressurization tests in Belgium and the provisions taken to widen the number of buildings where a valid pressurization test can be realized.

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